Automatic temperature control for self-heating flat-irons.



v 5.1mm). AUTOMATIC TEMPERATURE CONTROL FOR SELF HEATING FLAT IRONS.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 2, 1913.

1,075,991; Patented Oct. 14, 1913.

WITNESSES I TED @IA'l EDWIN RUUD, OFIITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC TEMPERATURE CONTRQL FOR SELF-HEATING FLAT-IRON S.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWIN RUUD, a citi zen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Temperature Control for Self-Heating Flat-Irons, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide improved and efficient means for automatically controlling the temperature of selfheating fiat irons, the controlling means be ing actuated by variations in temperature of the smoothing surface of the iron and operating to maintain the latter at approximately uniform temperature. Gverheating of the iron and-scorching of materials is prevented. The heating means is sensitive to temperature changes, being more active under the cooling tendency of heavy or excessively damp fabrics than when operating on relatively thin or dry materials.

A further purpose is to provide for'aocurate and direct transmission of the heat controlling forces, this bein accomplished by exposing a. thermostatice ement having negligible expansion and contraction to the direct action of the bodv of the iron, so that the cont-rolling forces are transmitted directly and immediately when temperature variations take place, avoiding the slower working adjustments where temperature variations must take place in the motion transmitting element as well as in the iron itself before an adjustment for either a higher or lower temperature can ensue.

The invention is here embodied in a gas heated iron, and a further object is to provide mechanism of improved construction for transmitting the thermostatic movement to a valve for controlling the-flow of gas; also improved means for adjusting such movement.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view artly in side elevation and partly in vertica longitudinal section of a flat iron embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a rear end view of the same. Fig. 3 1s a. cross section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig 4 is a sectional elevation of the valve mechanism for controlling the flow of gas and the adjustable mechanism for transmitting movement Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented Get. 141, 1913.

Application filed January 2, 1913. Serial No. 739,6a4.

thereto from the thermostat. Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional details taken on line 5--5 and 6 6, respectively, of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, the iron body 2 is recessed downwardly to form heating chamber 3, which is provided with removable cover 4 carrying handle 5, all of usual or any preferred construction.

For heating with as, the rear wall of the body is tapped by t e mixing tube 6, open at 7 for admitting air.

9 is a tubular gas burner within chamber 3 and with which tube 6 connects. In the adaptation here shown, one end of the burner is slipped over and supported by the projecting extremity of tube 6, as indicated at 10, Fig. -1, and the opposite end of the burner may be secured in rest 10 by screw 11 and clip 12.

-'Ihe relatively thick bottom portion 13 of the iron body is formed with the central longitudinal cavity 14 which extends from end to end thereof and which is open through.

the rear end wall. of the body, and located within said cavity is rod 15 formed preferably of porcelain, though it may be of any other neutral material, 71. 6., material substantially negligible in expansion and contraction. An adjusting screw 16, entered through nose 17 of the iron, is adapted to engage the forward end of rod l5,and the rear end of the rod is operatively connected to the gas controlling means which I will now describe.

Entered in the upper end of tube 6 is the fitting 18 provided at its inner end with valve seat 19 having orifice 20 for longitudinally movable needle valve 21, with a spring 22 operating to force the valve toward its seat. The spring may be confined by the lower end of tube 23 extending from fitting 18 for connectin with a flexible gas nose 24. In fitting 18 is the ball-like bearing 25 of lever 26, with a tongue 27 project,

inginwardly from the bearing into engagement with the valve, lever 26 operating to move the valve in opposition to spring'22, as will be understood.

For transmitting motion from thermostatic rod 15 to lever 26, a lever 30 is fulcrumed at 31 to the-under side of tube 6,

with the lower shorter end 33 of the levercarrying screw 34 which engages the extremity of rod 15. The extremity of the longer arm of lever 30 embraces the lower end of lever 26, as indicated at 35. The

upper end of lever 26 carries a set screw 36 which engages fitting 18 and holds the valve from being fully closed by spring'22, so that a minimum amount of gas may pass to the burner and assure its constant burning when in use, avoiding the necessity of providing a piilot light.

he valve and motion transmitting mechanisms are inclosed by a shield 37 which is substantially U-shaped in cross-section, the shield fitting around the under side of tube 6 and secured thereto by screws 38. The lower portion of the shield is slotted at 39 to pass adjusting screw 34, and the upturned extremity of the latter is adapted to oscillate between the stop-forming lugs 40 on the shield at opposite sides of the slot. Withcommunicated through the rod to the valve mechanism. Thus, as bottom portion 13 of the body contracts, neutral rod' 15 is forced adjustments.

afforded by turning screw 34 between stops rearward ushing outward the shorter lower end 33 of ever 30 and forcing inwardly or upwardly the longer arm of said lever, thereby oscillating the lever 26 to open the valve against the pressure of spring 22 and increase the inflow of gas. On the other hand, as the temperature of bottom portion 13 of the iron rises and the metal expands, rod cavity 14 elongates and permits the rod to move inward in response to the pressure of spring 22 transmitted thereto through levers 26 and 30, thereby permitting the valve to move toward closed position, although it may be prevented from fully closin by set screw 36, as above described, with su cient gas always passing to the burner to maintain the same lighted. Screws 16 and 34 at opposite ends of neutral rod 15 provide for accurate and highly sensitive Indeed, the slight movement 40 marks the difference between relatively I high and low temperatures.

A flat iron as herein constructed is substantially automatic. The single adjuststantially no thought or care on the part of the laundress or domestic operating the iron. While screw 16 may be adjusted from time to time as conditions may require, all the adjustment that is necessary when the iron is in use may be effected by turning screw 34 either in one direction or the other.

It is characteristic of the invention that that portion of the fiat iron body adjacent to its smoothing face operates to directly and immediately control the source of heat, the movement expansive and contractive being immediately communicated to the neutral rod and from the latter to the valve, either forcing open the latter or permitting it to move toward closed position-under the pressure of spring 22, as will be understood. The construction proposed herein is quicker and more'efi' ective than with a motion trans mitting device which must vary in-temperature in order to operate the valve, for with such device the iron body must heat up and transmit its heat to the transmitting device beforethe valve can be affected. And when cooling, not only the tem )erature of the iron body must be reduced ut suflicient time must elapse to permit substantial reduction of temperature of the transmitting device before the valve can be affected. l Vith the construction herein proposed the temperature of the flat iron body itself and the expansion or contraction resulting therefrom immediately affect i the heat' controlling means without making it necessary to either raise or lower the temperature of any interposed motion transmitting means, While this characteristic of the invention is here shown in connection with an automatically controlled gas-heated flat iron, it may be variously employed without departing from the invention. v

I claim 1. The combination of a fiat iron body having the portion thereof adjacent its smoothing surface constituting the expansive element of a thermostat, means for communicating heat to said smoothing surface, a device for varying the amount of supplied heat, and'a neutral thermostatic element cooperating with the first mentioned thermostatic element and operatively connected to said device for transmitting movement from the first mentioned thermostatic element to said device.

2. The combination of a flat iron body havin the portion thereof adjacent its smoot iing surface constituting the expansive element of a thermostat, a gas supplied burner for heating the smoothing surface, a valve for-controlling the flow of gas to the burner, and a neutral thermostatic element cotiperating with the first mentioned thermostatic element and operatively connected to the valve for communicating movement of the first mentioned thermostatic element with a cavity adjacent its smoothing face aovaeei to the valve for proportioning the flow of gas to the heatconsuming demands upon the smoothing surface.

3. The combination of a flat iron body having the portion thereof adjacent its smoothing surface constituting the ex pansive element of a thermostat, a gas supplied burner for heating the smoothing surface, a valve for controlling the flow of as to the burner, a spring for moving the va ve in one direction, and a neutral thermostatic element cooperating with the first mentioned thermostatic element and operatively connected to the valve for moving the latter in opposition to the spring and thereby proportioning the flow of gas to the heat consfuming demands upon the smoothing surace.

' i. The combination of a fiat iron, a gas supplied burner for heating the same, a valve casing for passing gas to the'burner, the casing being formed with a valve seat, a valve movable within the casing, a lever at the exterior of the casing and operatively connected to the valve, lever operating means, and means for limiting the movement of the lever and thereby preventing the valve from fully seating.

5. The combination .of a fiat iron formed with a cavit adjacent its smoothing face, a neutral ro located in said cavity, heating means carried by the iron, and heat controlling means operatively' connected to said rod and adapted to immediately and directly receive movement from the iron body due to expansion and contraction thereof.

6. The combination of a flatiron formed with a burner cavity above its smoothing face, the metal between said cavity and the smoothing face formed with a recess, a neutral thermostatic element within the recess, a gas burner in the burner cavity, a valve for controllin the flow of gas, and an operative connection between the neutral rod and said valve.

7 The combination of a fiat iron formed with a cavity adjacent its smoothing face, a thermostatic rod within the cavity, an adjustable device located in a wall of the cavity and engaging one end of the rod, a gas supplied burner, a valve for controlling the flow of gas, and adjustable mechanism opgratively connecting the valve and said ro 8. The combination of a flat iron formed with the cavity open at one end through a wall of the iron, an adjustable device entered through the wallet the iron at the closed end of the cavity, a thermostatic rod entered in the cavity and at one end engaging said adjustable device, a gas. supplied burner, a valve for controlling the -fiow of gas, mechanism for transmitting movement from the rod to said valve, and an adjusting devjice 'operatively connecting the mechanism and said rod.

9. The combination of a 'flat iron, iron heating means, heat controlling means, a thermostatic device carried by .the iron, a set screw operatively connecting the heat controlling means and thermostatic device, the set screw having a laterally deflected extremity, and two stops between which the screw extremity is movable for limiting its movement in opposite directions.

10. The combination of a fiat iron, iron heating means, heat controlling means, a removable shield inclosing the heat controlling means, a thermostat carried by the iron, a set screw operatively connecting the screw extending to the exterior of the shield and deflected laterally, and two stops on the shield for limiting the movement in opposite directions of the deflected portion of the screw 11. The combination of a flat iron, a gas supplied burner for heating the same, avalve for controlling the flow of gas, a spring for moving the valv'e toward closed position, a thermostatic neutral element carried by the iron, lever mechanism operatively connecting the spring-actuated valve and thermostat for transmitting movement from the thermostat to the valve in opposition to the spring, and a removable shield inclosing the lever mechanism.

12. The combinationt of a flat iron, a gas supplied burner for heating the same, a valve for controlling the flow of gas, a spring for moving the valve toward closed position, a lever fulcrumed between its ends, a projection on the lever operatively engaging the valve, an adjustable stop carried by movement of the valve, a second lever operatively connected to the opposite end of said first'mentioned lever, and a thermostatic device carried by the iron and operatively connected to said second lever for transmitting movement to the valve in opposition to said spring.

13. The combination of a flat iron, a gas supplied burner for heating the same, a gas inlet connection carried by one end of the iron, a valve in said inlet connection for controlling the flow of gas, a thermostat carried by the iron, lever mechanism operatively connected to the thermostat and said valve, and a shield removably fitting the tubular connection and inclosing the lever mechanlsm.

with a combustion chamber, a gas inlet connection entered through a wall of said chamber and projecting thereinto, a tubular burner within the chamber and at one end embracing the projecting portion of the tubular connection, means for securing the controlling means and the thermostat, the i one end of the lever for limiting the closing 14:. The combination of 'a flat iron formed A opposite end of the burner Within the chamber, and a valve for controlling the flow of gas to the burner.

15. The combination of a flat iron having the portion thereof adjacent its smoothing surface constituting an element of a thermostat, a second thermostatic element cooperating therewith, a burner for heating said smoothing surface, a valve for controlling the supply of fuel to the burner, means connecting the valve and said second thermostatic element'said means including an adjusting device movable in reverse. directio-ns for determining the temperature at which the valve is actuated by the thermostat, and stop means for limiting the reverse movements of said device.

16. The combination of a fiat iron formed with a cavity adjacent its smoothing face, iron heating means, a heat controlling device, a thermostatic rod Within said cavity and at one end operatively connected to the controlling device, and a set screw adjust-f able through the Wall of the cavity and adapted to engage the opposite end of the rod for varying the position of the latter.

17. The combination of a fiat iron body having the portion thereof adjacent its smoothing surface constituting the expansive element of a thermostat, a burner for heating the smoothing surface, a valve for controlling the supply of fuel to the burner, and a neutral thermostatic element cooperating With the first mentioned thermostatic element and operatively connected to the valve for communicating movement to the latter and thereby proportioning the supply of fuel to the heat consuming demands upon the smoothing surface. 1

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of tWo vgitnesses.

EDWIN RUUD. 

